Morning journal and courier., 1887-02-14
MIR. HumE,s nEu1sIoN.

The Boards Decision Views of
 Prominent New Haven COngrega-
 tiOnalists-Rev. Burdett Hart's En-
 dorsement of The Boards Action
 Rev. Dr. Alden's Visit To New Haven.
 Rev. Dr. Alden, general secretary of the American board of foreign mission, preached yesterday at Dwight Place church. Consid- erable interest attached to his coming to this city, the home of Rev. MT. Hume, owing to conjectures that it implied an interview with Mir. Hume relative to possible settling of the question as to Mir. Hume's return to In dia, and half dozen representatives of the press were at the church to jot down any re- marks which MT. Alden might make with reference to the so-called new theology, and the Andover question, but the sermon was a plain, regular, according to rule missionary sermon followed by the usual missionary col lection. Dr. Alden stopped with Rev. Dr. Mitchell. The two are warm personal friends. He is compactly built, thick set gentleman, verging toward seventy, with hearty and vigorous manner and affable, and his looks tell him to be man of power and influence, such as he has been for years in the councils of the American board. Dr.. Alden while here spoke most approvingly of MT. Humes unimpeachable record as a faithful, earnest and successful laborer in the mission field and most approvingly of the decision of the prudential committee of the American board with reference to MT. Hume's case, which is as follows:
 RooMs OF THE A. B. c. FM.,
 BOSTON, February H. 1887.
 The committee understands that, under the &C., ton or the board at Its last annual meetlng!t has option but to decline to send out missionary any person who has committed himself to the ac- cepance of the hypothesis of probation after death That action was in the following termS
 ''The board is constrained to look ahead with doctrine of probation after death which has been recently hroached and diligently propagated, that churches at home and abroad. In view of those tendencies they do heartily approve of the action the board from any committal to the approval of that doctrine, and advise continuance of that eau tion in time to come"
 In the case of Rev. R. A. Hume embarrassment and consequent delay have arisen from doubt as to his position the subject. After several terviews and much correspondence it appears that Mr. Hume regards the hy pothesis in question not forbidden by the scriptures and that some consider ations favor it, while the other hand he afirms that he has not in his past utterauces committed himself and that he does not now commit him self to the acceptance of the hypothesis. It has ben a question with the committee even where it s not aeceped would conro1 thought and action but it has not been un- plicant for missionary appointment He has for eleven years rendered good service in the mission field and the record of that service, we'll as his recent statements, give reasonable assurance that he will work in the future as in the past as loyal representative of the American board and in har- in their letter of October 28 1886, that he avoid the % ] or teaching Of any n fa therefore to the return of Mir. Hume to his cherished work in the Maratha mission"
 Dr. Alden laid particular stress on the last claim which was somehow or other omitted ill the dispatch sent the Associated Press Dr. Alden calling, attention to the omission, bore upon the permission expressed in favor of MT. Hume and said the committees state ment covered the whole ground and he had ter. He would add. however, that the com mittee's expectation was that Mir. Hume would accept the decision as it was con- sidered as entirely in accordance with the committee's interpretation of MT. Hume's views. MT. Alden said the conclusion of the committee had come more directly under Dr. Clark's supervision and jurisdiction. He Dr. Alden) was prohibited by usage from disclosing wheth- CT the committee in their action were unani- nous or not. As to MT. Hume's going back. that was question which lay entirely with MT. Hume, and Dr. Alden had no knowledge the subject. The committee certainly felt safe in returning MT. Hume to his mission work on the platform laid down by the committee of the board The Condition on Which MT. Hume
 Will Return.
 Rev. MT. Hume is preparing his reply to stated on the best of authority that the essential portion of the reply will be that he will consent to re- turn with no inimical restrictions placed up- on him; or, to put it more precisely, he will return only upon condition of being allowed the same liberty of speech, thought and which ia allowed tinna1 clergyman at home. This evidently leaves another nut for the American board to crack, and the issue will be awaited with still fur ther interest in Congregational circles and by the reading and thinking public.
 What Prominent COngregattOnal1sts
 Say on the Subject.
 Prominent Congregationalists here in dis cussing the statement upon which the pru- dential committee consent to MT. Hume's return say that it is an abandonment of the position held by Secretary Alden that his dogma of the decisiveness of the earthly life must in ali cases be insisted on as qualified ion for missionary service. But great dis satisfaction with the committees statement is expressed, 1st not only because it put forth he committees interpretation of MT. Hume's views instead of the statement which he had authorized them to publish, in which his friends declare he plainly asserted his liberty % hold the view ill question, if he should wish to do so; but, second, because the com nittee raise a new doctrinal issue by declar- ing that they received explicit instructions at DesMoines to take the position which they nave assumed. This is said to be contrary 10 the ruling of President Hopkins when he put the motion to which the com nittee refer, as well as to the intent of the resolution itself and the whole
 nd io int totJ ,f the position of the board to which liberal will never consent. If the committee maintain this position new doc- ,rinal standard is raised and a question forced to the front which affects the liberty of every missionary in the service ot the board. Liberal theologians say the contro- 7ersy never will be settled until it is settled on the simple principle of evangelical tolera- ion and Christian comprehension in Chris ian work. MT. Hume's case stands for principle of liberty in the missionary ser- rice.
 Rev Burdett Hart and The Boards De
 cfsfOn.
 Rev. Burdett Hart, pastor of the First church, Fair Haven, who is me of the pronounced opponents of the new heology, said Saturday evening re- ,arding the committees manifesto to NoSAo1oA n accordance with his expectations. The committee had evidently con idered them ,elves instructed not to send as a missionary my person committed to the acceptance Of he hypothesis of probation after death. Mr. Hume had been slow in defining his ex- act position on the subject, but at last af- firms that he has not and does not commit himself to the hypothesis. Now, also Mr. Hume gives reasonable assurance that he will work as before, as a loyal representa- tive of the board and in harmony with the wishes of the mission as expressed in his own letter, namely, that he should omit the or teaching of any speculation in favor of future probation. MT. Hart thought the decision would give general sat isfaction to the Congregational churches, and that the adherents of the new theology would fail, as he put it, to force the Congregational churches to accept the new theology. The effort might, however, result in 8 division. Mr. Hart cited the Congregationalist, the the Advance and the Pacific as opposed to the hypothesis; also the Chris tiau Mirror, the Vermont Chronicle, the Re- Iigious Herald and the New York Observer; also Mr. Hart thought that the great body of the Congregational dailies were opposed to it. We all wanted MT. Hume to go back. He made good missionary and is well fitted for the work Mr. Hart regarded the case as